With water level of the Narmada dam breaking all past records and reaching 131.10 metres, around 7,000 people living in villages located close to the Narmada river bank in Narmada, Bharuch and Vadodara districts had to be evacuated and relocated to safer areas. Besides, 80 villages in these districts have been put on high alert.

Owing to relentless rainfall in the neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, water level in the dam rose to 131.10 metres. Authorities at Omkareshwar dam released 12 lakh cubic feet per second (cusec) water on Saturday, while the inflow of water into the Narmada dam was 14.8 cusec.

As much as 14.12 lakh cusec water was being released from the dam, which increased water in the river to alarming level. At least, 1,500 people were evacuated from four villages in Dabhoi, Sinor and Karjan talukas of Vadodara situated on the banks of the Narmada river, district authorities said.

Flood warning was issued for 26 villages in Vadodara alone. In Bharuch, at least 5,000 persons shifted to safer place as level of water in Golden Bridge was recorded at 35 feet. Twenty seven villages were put on high alert.

As many as 32 villages in Narmada were on high alert, even as district authorities shifted 800 people to a safe place. The tourism department closed the first viewpoint close to the dam.

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